Preparing students for healthcare professions

The major in Kinesiology (formerly Exercise Science) offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human movement. The Kinesiology major is primarily a pre-professional program and an ideal choice for students interested in healthcare professions that involve physical rehabilitation, such as, but not limited to physical therapy, occupational therapy, clinical exercise physiology and medical school. The major provides students with a strong biological and physical science-based foundation complemented by individual specialty courses in biomechanics, physiology, motor control & learning, and athletic training. The discipline of Kinesiology uses tools from biology, physics, neuroscience, engineering, medicine, and computer science to understand important problems related to cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and metabolic health.

Students with the goal of attending medical school should also consider the major in Human Physiology and visit UD’s Center for Health Profession Studies for advising and admission information.

Program Details

The University of Delaware Catalog for the Kinesiology major provides the Program Educational Goals, the full curriculum, and a Four-Year Plan for the recommended sequence of courses.  Notice that the number of elective credits provides a flexible curriculum that enables completion of one or more minor programs of study such as Strength & Conditioning, Disability Studies, Nutrition, or Spanish for Healthcare, and many more.

What is the difference between Kinesiology and Exercise Science?

Before the Fall 2023 semester, the Kinesiology major was named Exercise Science.  While the program remains the same, Kinesiology is a better representation of the body of knowledge learned, the discipline, and the scholarly expertise of our faculty in the department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology (KAAP). A simple Greek translation of kinesiology is ‘the scientific study of human body movement’. Kinesiology students will learn how our integrated physiological systems are involved in movement, the critical relationship between physical activity and health, and how physical activity and health respond and adapt to varied stimuli including exercise, normal aging, chronic conditions and environmental stressors. Indeed, exercise is only one stimulus of interest and this is why the name Kinesiology can be considered more inclusive.